Friday, September 14, 2012

Finally, it's fall! The children are back for storytimes and I couldn't be happier. Even though the break after summer reading is a welcome respite, of sorts, it is great to be back to stories and kids.

This is not my first rodeo. I have been doing storytimes and library programming for more years than many of you have been alive.The good news here.....the REALLY great news here........is that it NEVER gets old for me. Every session brings an opportunity to tweak, to reinvent, to bump things up (or down), and to always, always, above all else, have fun with books and children. I was happy to discover I still get "butterflies" before storytime.

Becoming routinized can be an issue in all facets of life. We have an advantage here; kids are always fresh, changing, growing, and are a constant reminder of the spectacular fun and discovery in the everyday. So just when I was feeling bogged down, just when I felt like I was dragging myself through the day, it was time for fall programs to begin. I was relieved to feel excited again. The library was brought back to life with exuberant children and the opportunity to share books with them (in addition to familiarizing them with "walking feet"). I am happy to report, it snapped me out of the end of summer doldrums, and reminded me to have fun again.

So enjoy the wonderful stories, old and new. Have fun with the puppets. Make some colorful new flannelboards. Learn some new fingerplays and songs but enjoy rediscovering the old faves.